Erath‑Somerville planning commission adopts stricter transmission‑siting policy, finds project application incomplete

The Erath‑Somerville Subregional Planning Commission adopted an updated Chapter 391 transmission‑siting policy on March 24 that requires developers to identify and evaluate aviation facilities and historic groundwater wells before routes are approved.

The commission also issued a formal finding that the certificate application currently before regulators for the proposed 765‑kilovolt transmission route “does not contain sufficient information to fully evaluate the impacts” on groundwater resources, undocumented wells, cemeteries, agricultural operations, public‑safety communications and aviation facilities, the chair read during the meeting.

Why it matters: commissioners and members of the public said the proposed route could intersect private airstrips used for agricultural operations and areas with historic, undocumented wells that may pose contamination or access risks if transmission infrastructure is constructed. The policy directs that any proposed transmission project within the ESSRPC jurisdiction must identify and map wells (including those not reflected in digital records) and demonstrate that construction, operation and maintenance will not render wells inaccessible or create pathways for groundwater…